" He sat
down, wiping his forehead, amidst tremendous applause.
Soon after that the company pushed back from the table and relaxed into
couples and groups. The men, with the exception of Old Grannis, began
to smoke, the smell of their tobacco mingling with the odors of ether,
creosote, and stale bedding, which pervaded the "Parlors." Soon the
windows had to be lowered from the top. Mrs. Sieppe and old Miss Baker
sat together in the bay window exchanging confidences. Miss Baker had
turned back the overskirt of her dress; a plate of cake was in her lap;
from time to time she sipped her wine with the delicacy of a white cat.
The two women were much interested in each other. Miss Baker told Mrs.
Sieppe all about Old Grannis, not forgetting the fiction of the title
and the unjust stepfather.
"He's quite a personage really," said Miss Baker.
Mrs. Sieppe led the conversation around to her children. "Ach, Trina is
sudge a goote girl," she said; "always gay, yes, und sing from morgen
to night. Und Owgooste, he is soh smart also, yes, eh? He has der genius
for machines, always making somethun mit wheels und sbrings."
"Ah, if--if--I had children," murmured the little old maid a trifle
wistfully, "one would have been a sailor; he would have begun as a
midshipman on my brother's ship; in time he would have been an officer.
Pages:
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152